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Big boss types
Written by: Renée LeMoine
Photo by: Vojtìch Vlk
Studying our CEO has done little
to clarify what type of management style she uses. She appears
to be making her own rules and answers to no one but herself.
Men and women at the summit of any organization may be different
in terms of age, personality, backgrounds and education, but they
will always be one of two types: a) an entrepreneur/the solo climber,
or b) a hired professional executive/the big wall climber. These
mountaineers use various climbing techniques and routes to reach
the top, and every one is different in his or her approach. Understanding
their differences will greatly contribute to your ability to emulate
or modify their movements for your own career ascent.
- Soloist climbers trust their own judgment more than the staffs'.
They are more willing to personally manage endeavors, assume
risk, and place hopes on big returns. They are often concerned
about what the staff will do to contribute directly to the bottom
line. Conversely, big wall climbers are more interested in what
the staff can do to run the business. They will rely more on
planning committees and team activities.
- The entrepreneur thinks and acts fast. He relies on himself
more, often works in the trenches, gets his hand dirty and calculates
risk against results. A professional executive has to be politically
astute, carefully positioning herself. Risk is calculated against
her contract. Power is very important.
The entrepreneur is an innovator that often has his own personal
money on the line. Like Bill Gates, he is a creative think-tank
that calculates ownership as part of his reward and uses more latitude
to play by his own rules. On the opposite, some professional executives
are well-financed overseers of others' creative process. They must
possess exceptional communication and people skills to enable them
to answer to both staff and clients, and to keep a publicly-traded
business model running efficiently.
Understanding these patterns will help you identify how to work
more effectively with the CEO, better determine your own natural
inclinations, and consequently decide which style you prefer working
with, thereby facilitating your job selection. Article prepared by Renée LeMoine, Executive
Director, LeMoine & Associates
We welcome feedback and suggestions for
management topics which are of interest to you. Please submit your
questions or comments to: coachingcorner@prague-tribune.cz. |
